This invention relates generally to the display of advertising materials and more particularly concerns the display of advertising materials on airliner seat backs or snack tray tables. Given the present competitive economic climate in commercial air fares, airlines are or will be seeking new sources of revenue to enhance the competitiveness of their ticket prices. At the same time, with the advent of cable television, large captive audiences that were limited to major network television no longer exist. Consequently, the advertising industry is or will be more diligently than ever seeking identifiable segmented audiences for presentation of materials to accomplish its client's objectives. Profiles of typical air travelers are relatively easily developed based on such information as points of origin and destination, class of seating, days of the week, seasons of the year, smoking or non-smoking, and so forth. A marriage between the airlines and advertising industries for their mutual benefit therefore presents a high expectation of success.
The concept of advertising in various modes of transportation other than air travel is well known. Devices have been developed for use in the display of advertising on buses, taxi cabs and trains. But little if anything has been done to facilitate the tasteful and pleasant presentation of advertising within the confines of the interior of an airliner.
Accordingly, it is a primary aim of this invention to facilitate the display of advertising in an airliner cabin. Moreover, it is an objective of this invention to do so in a tasteful, pleasant, unobtrusive manner. It is also an object of this invention to facilitate the easy replacement of such materials. It is therefore an object of this invention to facilitate the display of printed and pictorial materials on airliner seat backs and snack tray tables. Additionally, it is an object of this invention to facilitate the blending of the apparatus used to display the materials with the airliner seat back or snack tray table by molding or otherwise conforming the apparatus to the configuration of the seat back or snack tray table and by the use of the same materials used or materials compatible with the materials used in the structure of the seat back or snack tray table.